Shor Habor Meats Are No Longer Certified by CHK Kosher

In an open letter, the rabbi Abraham Ozdova and rabbi Joseph Browna member of Crown Heights Beis Din and its CHK certification writes:

Dear members of the Crown Heights community, Anash and consumers around the world,

I hope this letter will cheer you up.

As the Rabbonim of Baydin in Crown Heights, it is our duty to ensure the highest standards of kosher supervision within our community and beyond.

We are writing to address the AgriStar plant. For some time now, the Agristar factory has been experiencing significant challenges with kashrus. Despite diligent efforts to maintain proper kashrus standards, they encountered resistance from factory management.

The lack of support for representatives from management made it increasingly difficult to ensure compliance with the Kashrus protocol. For example, after a recent rabbi visit to our factory, we requested a number of adjustments to our procedures, including a serious issue with animal vein removal. Despite efforts to implement these adjustments, not all requested changes were fully implemented in his AgriStar. Some items were initially ignored and then discussed, and even after long delays not all items were fully enacted.

There were also requests to accommodate consumers who only wanted Lubavitcher shechita, and requests for stronger chicken inspections, so it was determined that this would be “impossible.”

This tension and inconsistent adherence to proper procedures creates a toxic environment for Kashrus oversight activities.

The AgriStar factory has a long history of association with CHK, and the current owners have invested heavily to build a state-of-the-art factory and promote Hechsher. However, trust and the human element are key to kashrus.

Despite our long-standing relationship with AgriStar and extensive efforts to address these issues, we regret to inform you that we are no longer able to maintain our Kosher certification with AgriStar.

Therefore, going forward, the Shoal Harbor brand and other AgriStar beef and poultry products will no longer be under our control. This decision has been taken with a heavy heart, but the integrity of the Kashrus standards must be maintained.

Aglistor Shore Harbor beef and chicken products produced prior to this decision may continue to be used. However, his AgriStar and Shor Habor products produced after today will not be subject to our supervision.

Rest assured that all other meat and poultry products bearing the CHK logo are produced to our high kashrus standards and are Lubavitch shechita. Vaad Hakashrus is working with existing and new sources to increase the supply of his CHK meat and poultry in the market.

We urge our community members, Anash from other regions, and all consumers to insist on the highest standards of kashrus and to use CHK products whenever possible.